Miscellaneous

BRONCO ASSISTANT BRYAN HARSIN NAMED A FINALIST FOR THE BROYLES AWARDBOISE, Idaho ? Boise State University offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Bryan Harsin has been named a finalist for the 2009 Broyles Award, which honors the nation's top assistant football coach.

BOISE, Idaho - Boise State University offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Bryan Harsin has been named a finalist for the 2009 Broyles Award, which honors the nation's top assistant football coach.

Harsin joins a list of five finalists which also includes Kirby Smart, defensive coordinator at Alabama; Jeff Quinn, offensive coordinator at Cincinnati; Charlie Strong, defensive coordinator at Florida; and Dick Bumpas, defensive coordinator at TCU.

Harsin has been directing the Bronco offense the past four seasons, after serving as the tight end coach for Boise State from 2002 to 2005. Harsin, who played quarterback for the Broncos from 1995-99 and received his undergraduate from Boise State in 2000, also served one season (2001) as the offensive graduate assistant for the Broncos.

This season, Boise State is once again one of the top offensive teams in the country. The Broncos are the second highest scoring team in the country averaging 44.33 points-per-game. Boise State is also ranked second as a team in passing efficiency with a 166.06 rating, and ninth in total offense averaging 453.50 yards-per-game.

Boise State does lead the country in one offensive team statistic - quarterback sacks allowed. Through 12 games this year, the Bronco offensive line has allowed Boise State quarterbacks to be sacked only five times for a 0.42 per-game average.

Individually, Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore leads the nation in pass efficiency with a 168.74 rating, and is tied with Case Keenum of Houston for the most touchdown passes in the country this season at 38. Kellen's interception ratio is also the highest in the country with the sophomore signal caller throwing only three interceptions in 362 attempts for a .0082 mark.

The announcement of Harsin being a Broyles Award finalist is not the first time a Boise State coach has been honored. Current head coach Chris Petersen was also a finalist in 2002 and 2004 when he was the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for former Bronco head coach Dan Hawkins.

The Broyles Award is named after former head football coach and director of athletics at the University of Arkansas, Frank Broyles. The 2009 winner will be announced on December 8 (Tuesday) during a luncheon in Little Rock, Arkansas.